Where Has She Gone?
by Ano-chan
Summary: A father searches to find his lost daughter.


This idea seemed to just pop into my head one day, so I then decided I would try to write it, so here ya go.

Oh, and don't own .Hack, or I'd be making more games instead of writing fanfics.

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_My…daughter…_

Those two words, they defined him, they echoed and reechoed around his consciousness, they reminded him of a time, when he was more than he was now.

His thoughts immediately paused; more than he was…then what was he…? But he felt these thoughts trickle away, like water through his hands.

_Water…hands…?_

Those words brought back…things…he didn't recognize. They weren't memories, so much as a flashing of pictures across his vision. A tree, alone and silent, seemingly forgotten by those around it. Then, a face, a beautiful woman who looked at him with sadness in her eyes. These images continued to come, one after another, till he could no longer keep track of what he was seeing or what it meant to him.

But even images this powerful did nothing to move him, for ultimately, these images meant nothing to him. He watched them drain away and vanish into nothing, bringing him back to the only thing that mattered to him.

_My…daughter…_

A shimmering sound awoke him to a new presence, someone had found him. The newcomer brought new images to his eyes, a boy, dressed in red with blue eyes, a kind look on his face. He was dressed in red clothing, and there was something about his wrist, a great power lay there. That image faded to be replaced by another, another boy, anger and sorrow etched across his face as he glared at him with deep crimson eyes. He was clothed with colors of the deepest black, his hands clenched over twin daggers. But these too were banished as the newcomer spoke.

"Who…are you?" they asked, sounding shy as if they had intruded upon something they were never intended to see.

_Tell me…_he answered to the newcomer, _my daughter…have you seen my daughter?_

"Your daughter?" they replied, now simply sounding confused, "who is she?"

…_Aura…Emma's daughter…my daughter…_he replied slowly, a hint of remorse creeping into his passionless voice.

"Aura…" the newcomer responded slowly, "the daughter you abandoned…" their tone seemed to change at this, gaining a biting quality.

_Abandoned…no…_he explained, now drawing on the unused emotion of surprised, _I would never…leave her_

"Abandoned by her father, raised by a hating mother…" the newcomer now sounded as if they were taunting him, far different from the shy voice that had greeted him, "you were too busy hiding to even see her birth."

_No…I would never…_his voice now rose in anger, an emotion he hadn't touched upon since the rash youth dressed in black, the stranger brought him back to reality.

"You created her to rule over the world, and you left her, you never even tried to help her. You thought she could rule on her own, you forgot that she was still a child," the voice was deeper now, angrier, "it's no wonder she left us all…"

_Left us…but why? Why leave…_he asked, a new emotion was creeping on him, with it a flash of images. A tree, a man alone next to it, waiting for something that wouldn't come. Two men, one turning from the other, as if trying to avoid what he was saying. Finally, a scene of terrible damage, two shells of metal had consumed each other, their remnants scattered around the surprised onlookers, sparkling with sunlight in mocking beauty.

"She was tired," interrupted the newcomer, once more shy and small, "ruling over everyone, ruling alone, never knowing another to help her. True…she had her champions, but they would all leave eventually."

_But…I wouldn't…please stop…_he begged the stranger, he was coming to a realization, something he didn't want to accept.

"Not until you understand what you've done," they answered harshly, "not until you know what you did to your daughter. You were never there when she needed you, you weren't there to protect her, you abandoned her!" As the newcomer's last shout echoed away, the room fell into a cold silence.

_Then…what…must I do? _He finally asked, breaking the silence.

"The only thing you can," they said simply, now a strong woman's voice, "you have to fix it."

_But…how…how can I…? _He wondered aloud, he was lost as to what to do.

"I cannot help you there," they replied, voice deep again, "you are her father, you must end what you started."

_I don't…my daughter is lost…I can't find her…_anger once more crept into his voice; he was angry and frustrated, for he could do nothing. However, the newcomer simply laughed at him.

"You are her father, if there is anything a father would know, it's where their child would run to…" their voice slowly dwindled as they finished, until it was nothing more than a whisper.

At those words, he knew…he understood, he could find his daughter. Turning to say something to the newcomer, a thank you, or a sad goodbye, only to find that the newcomer wasn't there. Not stopping to ponder, he warped away.

As the shimmering blue lights cleared, he slowly observed the new area. It was as bare as could be, a white oblivion, broken only simply furniture, simply floating on a nothing. But this room help more memories than one could imagine. This was where his daughter was raised, raised by a mother that was forced to do so. It was also where she was first born, where she was freed from her mother's dominion. He knew she would run here, her mother was gone…and this was they only place she had ever called home.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he moved over to the bed, the bed where his daughter lay. She was sleeping, the dress she wore draped across the bed. Eyes closed, she looked completely at peace. Finally, after staring at his daughter, finding it so hard to believe he had found her, he rose up, out of the chair that had confined him for so long. He found himself unsteady on his feet, so unused to it after so long. He sat down on the bed, next to his daughter, rumpling her dress slightly. He brought one hand up and slowly brushed it down her long sliver hair. At his touch her eyes opened, and slowly focused on who was next to her. Her eyes opened wide in shock, surprise…and happiness. Her mouth opened, uttering one word.

"Fa…ther…"

_My…daughter…I found you…

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_So there it is, I hope you enjoyed it. I'll leave finding out who, or what, the newcomer was, to you.

Please R&R.


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